Hair-slide

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a hair-slide including a base, a flexible clasp hinged to the base at one end thereof, and a blade spring hinged to the blade at the other end thereof and adapted to lock the clasp in its closed position and to unlock it when it is pushed upon at its free end near its hinging means.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Jean Vulllard Saint-Claude, Jura,France [211 App]. No. 776,576 [22] Filed Nov. 18, 1968 [45] PatentedFeb. 23, 1971 [7 3] Assignee Sesame,

Saint-Claude, Jura, France [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,935,071 5/1960 Waggener 132/46 3,141,218 7/1964 Eckman 24/2523,430,637 3/1969 Koleske 132/46 Primary Examiner- Louis G. ManceneAssistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeill Attorney-Alfred W. BreinerABSTRACT: The invention relates to a hair-slide including a base, aflexible clasp hinged to the base at one end thereof, and a blade springhinged to the blade at the other end thereof and adapted to lock theclasp in its closed position and to unlock it when it is pushed upon atits free end near its hinging means.

which will be termed spring" hereinafter. The spring must be slid byhand underneath other parts, involving a nonnegligible amount'of time inmass production. In a hair-slide according to this invention, the springis hinged on the base, thus enabling .it to be fitted much more quickly.Further, the parts making up the hair-slide can have unusually simpleshapes. The description which follows with reference to the accompanyingnonlimitative exemplary drawing will give a clear understanding of howthe invention can be carried into practice.

IN THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows a flat element which following bending andcurving forms the base of a hair-slide;

FIG. 2 shows a flat element which subsequent to curving forms the claspof the hair-slide;

FIG. 3 shows a flat element which following bending and curving fonnsthe spring of the hair-slide; I

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are diametrical longitudinal sectional views of thehair-slide in its open position, in its closed position when it does notgrip the hair, and in its closed position when it grips the hair,respectively.

The hair-slide described hereinbelow'in symmetrical in relation to alongitudinal plane. For greater clarity, identical parts which aresymmetrical in relation to said plane will be designated by likereference numerals.

The three flat elements in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are cut from a sheet ofmetal, for examplea sheet of carbon steel, and the parts obtained afterthey have been deformed as defined above are hardened prior to assembly.These parts will be designated hereinafter by the same referencenumerals as the corresponding flat starting elements. The flat element10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a rectangular strip 11, two tabs 12perpendicular to strip 11 adjacent one end thereof, each being 7 formedwith a hole 13 therein, and two other tabs 14 likewise perpendicular tostrip 11 and positioned adjacent the other end thereof and each formedwith a hole 15 therein. The tabs 12 and the tabs 14 are subsequentlybent at right angles to strip 11 in order to respectively form thebearings for first-and second hinge-pins. 3 l

The element 16 shown'in FIG. 2 is generally strip-shaped with stubs 19adjacent one of its two ends, is rounded at its other end 20, and isformed with a long opening 18 formed along the greater part of itslength and the ends of which are designated 18a and 18b. The two stubs19 are intended to engage into the holes 15 of bent tabs 14 and tothereby form a hinge-pin for clasp 16 in relation to base 10.

The element 21 shown in FIG. 3 comprises a long stripshaped centralportion 22 terminating at one end 220 in a wider portion 23 and at itsother end 22b in a wider portion 24. This wider portion 24 is formedlaterally with two stubs 25 intended to engage into the holes 13 of benttabs 12 and to thereby form the hinge-pin for spring 21. Widened portion24 is formed with an opening 26 therein bounded adjacent the end of theelement by a transverse edge 27 and having two inwardly juttingtransverse protrusions 29 which, alternatively, may meet to form asingle transverse portion.

The widened portion 24 includes a first part 30 of transverse width notexceeding the width of strip 11 and, at the end of the element, a secondpart 31 wider than strip 11.

The portion of element 21 enclosing the second opening 28 is shaped as atwo-pronged fork having its handle formed by the central part 22 of theelement, and the transverse linear section of the two straight parallelparts of the two fork prongs 34 is greater than the transverselinear'section of the central part 22 of element 21.

The hair-slide is made as follows:

The strip 11 is curved slightly to give it the shape shown in FIGS. 4, 5and 6. The element 16 is curved slightly to make it substantiallyparallel to strip 11, as shown in FIG. 5. The flat element 21 isdeformed into the shape shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. These three parts arethen hardened and the stubs 19 are inserted into the holes 15 in thebent tabs 14 and the stubs 25 into the holes 13 in bent tabs 12. Thiscompletes manufacture of the hair-slide.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the central portion 22 of spring 21 is archedabove strip 11 of base 10, while the widened portion 24 of spring 21includes the hinge-pin 25 of spring 21 and is curved in the oppositedirection to central portion 22, and the portion 23 of the springadjacent the freev end thereof is located between strip 11 of base 10and the hinge stubs 19 of clasp 16.

From what has been said hereinbefore concerning the transverse widths ofthe two portions 30 and 31, it follows that the first portion 30, fromwhich project the stubs 25 forming the hinge-pin of spring 21, iscapable of pivotal motion between the lateral bearings of saidhinge-pin, formed by the bent tabs 12, and that pivotal motion of thesecond part 31, which is wider than part 30, in an anticlockwisedirection (when viewing FIGS. 4 to 6), i.e. in the direction tending tomove the central portion 22 of spring 21 nearer to strip 11, is arrestedby the bent tabs 12.

In order to obtain the closed position shown in FIG. 5 from the openposition shown in FIG. 4, the clasp 16 is first applied on the edge 24,then pressed. This increases its curvature, thus reducing the lineardistance between its ends; further, under the effect of the pressureexerted on edge 27, the portion 31 rotates slightly, causing the end 20of clasp 16 to pass beneath the edge 27, as shown in FIG. 5. At the sametimeclasp 16 may bear at 18b against spring 21, thus subjecting thelatter to a rotating moment about its hinge-pin 25 and consequentlycausing its free end to bear against strip 11 at 23. Clasp 16 mayalternatively not bear against spring 21, in which case its rotationwill be arrested by the protrusions 29.

To open clasp 16 pressure is exerted on the part 31 of the widenedportion 24 of spring 21. This part 31 is located externally of hinge-pin25, so that widened portion 24 pivots in a clockwise direction (as seenon the drawing), thus disengaging the edge 20 of the clasp from the edge27 of external part 31. Spring 21 continues to pivot about its hinge 25and its end por tion 23 adjacent the hinge-pin 19 of clasp 16 thereforecomes to bear at 22a against the inside face of clasp 16 and thus causesthe latter to rotate anticlockwise about its hingepin 19, i.e. in thedirection in which it opens.

In FIG. 6, the hair (not shown) gripped by the hair-slide is heldbetween clasp l6 and spring 21. As FIG. 6 shows, its pressure has causesspring 21 to pivot about its hingepin 25, and the free rounded end 20 ofclasp 16 has advances further beneath the edge 27 of part 31, thusincreasing the clamping force of clasp 16. The external part 31 of thewidened portion 24 of spring 21 has been arrested by the bent tabs 12.This widened portion 24 offers greater resistance to deformation thanthe central spring portion 22 because, as stated previously, itstransverse linear section is greater than the transverse linear sectionof the central spring portion 22. The central spring portion 22 cannottherefore move too far away from clasp 16, so that the hair remainssecurely clasped by the hair-slide.

When clasp 16 is opened by pressing the part 31, the hair grippedbetween it and the central portion 22 of spring 21 in this case resiststhe rotation of spring 21 about its hinge-pin 25. However, the widenedportion 24 of spring 21 possesses considerable elasticity due to theopening formed therein, as a result of which widened portion 24 iscaused to pivot clockwise about hinge-pin 25 and thereby disengage thefree end 20 of clasp 16 from transverse edge 27. In this case thepressure exerted by the hair helps to open clasp 16.

Iclaim: I

1. A hair-slide which includes a base comprising a strip portion, aspring pivoting in relation to said base about a transverse hingelocated adjacent one end of said base and which hasa central archedportion above said strip, a flexible clasp pivoting in relation to saidbase about a second transverse hinge located adjacent the other end ofsaid base and which is formed with a long opening along its length intowhich penetrates said central spring portion when said clasp is in itsclosed position, the free end of said clasp, when it is in its closedposition, being held in place, in the absence of a pressure exerted onthe spring, by a portion of said spring.

2. A hair-slide according to claim 1 wherein said spring is formedadjacent its hinge with a widened portion formed with an opening thereinlocated externally of this hinge, and wherein that portion of saidspring which is located externally of said opening forms said springportion which holds said clasp in its closed position.

3. A hair-slide according to claim 2 wherein said widened portioncomprises the hinge of said spring and is curved oppositely to thecentral portion of said spring.

4. A hair-slide according to claim 2 wherein said widened portionincludes a first part from which stems said spring hinge moving betweenthe lateral bearings thereof, and externally of said first part, asecond wider part of which the pivotal motion which moves said centralspring portion towards said base is arrested by said lateral bearings.

5. A hair-slide according to claim 1 wherein said spring is formedadjacent its hinge with a widened portion formed with an opening thereinlocated externally of this hinge, said widened portion being formed withtwo transverse protrusions projecting into said opening, and whereinthat portion of said spring which is located externally of said openingforms said spring portion which holds said clasp in its closed position.

6. A hair-slide according to claim 1 wherein said spring is formedadjacent its hinge with a widened portion formed with an opening thereinlocated externally of this hinge, and wherein that portion of saidspring which is located externally of said opening is shaped as atwo-pronged fork the handle portion of which is formed by said centralspring portion.

7. A hair-slide according to claim 6 wherein the sum of the transverselinear sections of the parallel portions of the two fork prongs isgreater than the transverse linear section of said central springportion.

8. A hair-slide according to claim 1 wherein that portion of the springwhich is adjacent the free end thereof is located between the stripportion of said base and the hinge axis of said clasp.

1. A hair-slide which includes a base comprising a strip portion, aspring pivoting in relation to said base about a transverse hingelocated adjacent one end of said base and which has a central archedportion above said strip, a flexible clasp pivoting in relation to saidbase about a second transverse hinge located adjacent the other end ofsaid base and which is formed with a long opening along its length intowhich penetrates said central spring portion when said clasp is in itsclosed position, the free end of said clasp, when it is in its closedposition, being held in place, in the absence of a pressure exerted onthe spring, by a portion of said spring.
 2. A hair-slide according toclaim 1 wherein said spring is formed adjacent its hinge with a widenedportion formed with an opening therein located externally of this hinge,and wherein that portion of said spring which is located externally ofsaid opening forms said spring portion which holds said clasp in itsclosed position.
 3. A hair-slide according to claim 2 wherein saidwidened portion comprises the hinge of said spring and is curvedoppositely to the central portion of said spring.
 4. A hair-slideaccording to claim 2 wherein said widened portion includes a first partfrom which stems said spring hinge moving between the lateral bearingsthereof, and externally of said first part, a second wider part of whichthe pivotal motion which moves said central spring portion towards saidbase is arrested by said lateral bearings.
 5. A hair-slide according toclaim 1 wherein said spring is formed adjacent its hinge with a widenedportion formed with an opening therein located externally of this hinge,said widened portion being formed with two transverse protrusionsprojecting into said opening, and wherein that portion of said springwhich is located externally of said opening forms said spring portionwhich holds said clasp in its closed position.
 6. A hair-slide accordingto claim 1 wherein said spring is formed adjacent its hinge with awidened portion formed with an opening therein located externally ofthis hinge, and wherein that portion of said spring which is locatedexternally of said opening is shaped as a two-pronged fork the handleportion of which is formed by said central spring portion.
 7. Ahair-slide according to claim 6 wherein the sum of the transverse linearsections of the parallel portions of the two fork prongs is greater thanthe transverse linear section of said central spring portion.
 8. Ahair-slide according to claim 1 wherein that portion of the spring whichis adjacent the free end thereof is located between the strip portion ofsaid base and the hinge axis of said clasp.